vet techs using the term nurse

[bmwcvt]

what do you guys think of the growing controversy of vet techs calling themselves nurses?

[JLSL95]

Well, thanks for clarifying that Suzy. We as CVT's though do the same things nurses do. You are obviously not going to understand it because you think of animals badly and having no feelings, etc. You obviously have some issues with them.

I seriously suggest you go job shadow for a day or two. I wouldn't at your vet though, because like I said before it sounds as if he doesn't utilize his techs very well if you have never seen them or heard from them. Good luck with that. After you do that for a few days then come and tell me what we do isn't as important or as hard as an RN!

[JLSL95]

I forgot to add that we do much more than pyschomotor skills as well Suzy!

[RN2B2005]

I worked as a licenced veterinary technician for almost five years, and still maintain my licence and do per diem work on occasion. I encourage you to visit the North American Veterinary Technician Association (NAVTA) website to learn more about LICENCED veterinary technicians.

To those who think that veterinary technicians are uneducated or don't go through the same amount of schooling that RN's go through, consider this: To sit for the voluntary national NAVTA boards (similar to the NCLEX-RN, except the examination covers everything from cattle to guinea pigs), you must either graduate with an A.A.Sc. or B.Sc. in veterinary technology from a NAVTA-accredited school, or you must work in the field full-time for a minimum of five years and then sit for the exam. Sound familiar?

Veterinary technicians do everything RN's do, and more. We ARE the pharmacist (most vets have in-office drug stocks, so the NAVTA exam covers drug compounding), the anesthetist (ever seen an anesthesiologist at a spay/neuter clinic?), the x-ray tech (only we shoot the films while resting our heads against the collimator, trying to keep an angry Rottweiler from chewing through our lead aprons), and the physical labor (ever wondered how that Great Dane gets on the operating table?). And for all this, the AVERAGE salary for a licenced veterinary technician after FIVE YEARS in practice (and the two or four year degree) is only $24,000 per year (incidentally, the average veterinarian after five years in practice, and with the same amount of schooling as a physician, makes less than $50,000 per year). Not surprisingly, very few licenced veterinary technicians--including myself--stay in the field for more than ten years.

Why? Because pet owners will only pay X amount of dollars for their dog or cat's care--after all, the vet is just trying to rip you off, right? I mean, any idiot can do a total oopherectomy/hysterectomy on a neonatal patient--oh, wait, I mean a spay on a four-pound kitten.

Unfortunately, there is no MANDATORY nationwide (or even, in some states, statewide) educational requirement for 'vet techs'. The only national body is NAVTA, and although some states--like Washington--do licence and define the scope of practice of veterinary technicians, most states will let any idiot off the street call themselves a 'vet tech' or 'vet assistant'. Many veterinarians, primarily due to financial constraints, hire uneducated lay assistants, some with no experience with veterinary medical care beyond playing dress-up in elementary school. Most pet owners either don't understand or don't care whether or not the person administering the halothane to Fido (or shooting the x-ray, or drawing the blood) has a licence or any experience.

As a veterinary technician, I usually received blank stares when I mentioned what I did for a living. More than once, I was asked if that meant I cleaned kennels or hauled out the trash (yes--in addition to bagging vent patients, monitoring post-anesthesia patients, and running blood). Using the term 'veterinary nurse'--always with the 'veterinary' modifier--generally cleared up the confusion. In some countries, especially Great Britain, the term 'veterinary nurse' is a legitimate title, and appears on the licence.

So, don't be so quick to take umbrage at vet techs who try to clarify their job duties by saying "I'm a veterinary nurse." Simply rephrase the statement--"so, you're a licenced veterinary technician?"--and congratulate yourself for choosing a veterinarian with enough sense to hire, and pay, someone who sat through the same classes you did.

RN's and LPN's should pick fights with people who call CNA's and HHA's and unlicenced lay people "nurse", and realise that vet techs aren't trying to usurp the title--vet techs have had it all along.

:)

[JLSL95]

Very well said RN2B!!!

[RN2B2005]

I worked as a licenced veterinary technician for almost five years, and still maintain my licence and do per diem work on occasion. I encourage you to visit the North American Veterinary Technician Association (NAVTA) website to learn more about LICENCED veterinary technicians.

To those who think that veterinary technicians are uneducated or don't go through the same amount of schooling that RN's go through, consider this: To sit for the voluntary national NAVTA boards (similar to the NCLEX-RN, except the examination covers everything from cattle to guinea pigs), you must either graduate with an A.A.Sc. or B.Sc. in veterinary technology from a NAVTA-accredited school, or you must work in the field full-time for a minimum of five years and then sit for the exam. Sound familiar?

Veterinary technicians do everything RN's do, and more. We ARE the pharmacist (most vets have in-office drug stocks, so the NAVTA exam covers drug compounding), the anesthetist (ever seen an anesthesiologist at a spay/neuter clinic?), the x-ray tech (only we shoot the films while resting our heads against the collimator, trying to keep an angry Rottweiler from chewing through our lead aprons), and the physical labor (ever wondered how that Great Dane gets on the operating table?). And for all this, the AVERAGE salary for a licenced veterinary technician after FIVE YEARS in practice (and the two or four year degree) is only $24,000 per year (incidentally, the average veterinarian after five years in practice, and with the same amount of schooling as a physician, makes less than $50,000 per year). Not surprisingly, very few licenced veterinary technicians--including myself--stay in the field for more than ten years.

Why? Because pet owners will only pay X amount of dollars for their dog or cat's care--after all, the vet is just trying to rip you off, right? I mean, any idiot can do a total oopherectomy/hysterectomy on a neonatal patient--oh, wait, I mean a spay on a four-pound kitten.

Unfortunately, there is no MANDATORY nationwide (or even, in some states, statewide) educational requirement for 'vet techs'. The only national body is NAVTA, and although some states--like Washington--do licence and define the scope of practice of veterinary technicians, most states will let any idiot off the street call themselves a 'vet tech' or 'vet assistant'. Many veterinarians, primarily due to financial constraints, hire uneducated lay assistants, some with no experience with veterinary medical care beyond playing dress-up in elementary school. Most pet owners either don't understand or don't care whether or not the person administering the halothane to Fido (or shooting the x-ray, or drawing the blood) has a licence or any experience.

As a veterinary technician, I usually received blank stares when I mentioned what I did for a living. More than once, I was asked if that meant I cleaned kennels or hauled out the trash (yes--in addition to bagging vent patients, monitoring post-anesthesia patients, and running blood). Using the term 'veterinary nurse'--always with the 'veterinary' modifier--generally cleared up the confusion. In some countries, especially Great Britain, the term 'veterinary nurse' is a legitimate title, and appears on the licence.

So, don't be so quick to take umbrage at vet techs who try to clarify their job duties by saying "I'm a veterinary nurse." Simply rephrase the statement--"so, you're a licenced veterinary technician?"--and congratulate yourself for choosing a veterinarian with enough sense to hire, and pay, someone who sat through the same classes you did.

RN's and LPN's should pick fights with people who call CNA's and HHA's and unlicenced lay people "nurse", and realise that vet techs aren't trying to usurp the title--vet techs have had it all along.

:)

[SKM-NURSIEPOOH, BSN, RN]

excellent post rn2b2005!

cheers!

moe

[Ortho_RN]

JLSL95... You are wasting your time defending your position... I am also a CVT who is now in my 3rd semester of nursing school.. But some people on here are so protective of this word and I don't think even making it a Veterinary Nurse would make them happy.. :) I agree with you 100%, but you don't put alot of effort in defending it, cause it doesn't do much good :)

RN2b2005.. I couldn't have said it better myself... :)

I think its kinda interesting how many CVT's, RVT's, and LVT's are going to human nursing school :)

[SmilingBluEyes]

Originally posted by JLSL95

Maybe the answer is to make the public more informed of what a CVT actually does, and to make the trained on the job person an assistant instead of calling them a tech. But, until we have people pulling for us or helping us, I think this is the reason that some want our title changed to Veterinary nurse. I hope this helped to shed some light on the subject.

I applaud this statement. I agree with making the public aware of what we all do----whatever it is, that goes beyond our title. And yes, we would be glad to have you as an RN whatever age....nursing school is a real challenge, to be sure, and will upset your life a while but if that is what your dream is, go for it I say! Good luck.

[Q.]

Originally posted by JLSL95

Well, thanks for clarifying that Suzy. We as CVT's though do the same things nurses do. You are obviously not going to understand it because you think of animals badly and having no feelings, etc. You obviously have some issues with them.

I seriously suggest you go job shadow for a day or two. I wouldn't at your vet though, because like I said before it sounds as if he doesn't utilize his techs very well if you have never seen them or heard from them. Good luck with that. After you do that for a few days then come and tell me what we do isn't as important or as hard as an RN!

I would suggest before you pass judgement on what a nurse is and does, you go to nursing school, sit for the NCLEX, and then you might have an idea what a nurse does. But you will only understand what a nurse is and does when you've been practicing as one for a couple years.

Your assumption that I hate animals and think they have no feelings are completely way off base and asinine. So because I don't believe in handing off the title "nurse" that 2.7 million of us went to school for, I must hate animals? Not a very logical statement.

No one said that vet techs aren't important or don't work hard. Being a nurse is not defined by working hard or being viewed as important, nor is it defined about how much school you had; and this is why I have a problem with other professions trying to take on the title "nurse." You define it by amount of schooling and how hard you work. That is not what makes a nurse. .

Be proud of who you are, and that right now is a Vet Tech. There is nothing wrong with the title tech at all! Changing titles will not reflect on how much education you have or how much respect you will get. Educating the public about what you do and how you got there will accomplish that; not hanging on the coattails of another profession that already is trying to identify itself.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Originally posted by nurs2b

JLSL95... I think its kinda interesting how many CVT's, RVT's, and LVT's are going to human nursing school :) [/quote

I do too.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Originally posted by Susy K

I would suggest before you pass judgement on what a nurse is and does, you go to nursing school, sit for the NCLEX, and then you might have an idea what a nurse does. But you will only understand what a nurse is and does when you've been practicing as one for a couple years.

Your assumption that I hate animals and think they have no feelings are completely way off base and asinine. So because I don't believe in handing off the title "nurse" that 2.7 million of us went to school for, I must hate animals? Not a very logical statement.

No one said that vet techs aren't important or don't work hard. Being a nurse is not defined by working hard or being viewed as important, nor is it defined about how much school you had; and this is why I have a problem with other professions trying to take on the title "nurse." You define it by amount of schooling and how hard you work. That is not what makes a nurse. .

Be proud of who you are, and that right now is a Vet Tech. There is nothing wrong with the title tech at all! Changing titles will not reflect on how much education you have or how much respect you will get. Educating the public about what you do and how you got there will accomplish that; not hanging on the coattails of another profession that already is trying to identify itself.

BRAVO! But methinks it's a waste of time/typing. So many call themselves nurses that should not, like the techs pointed out...it's almost a losing battle. But we can keep fighting the good fight, after all. Guess I lied when I said I was done at this thread...sorry.

[JLSL95]

Thanks nurse2b. You are right though, I'm not going to defend it anymore. It is interesting how many are going to nursing school.

Good luck to you!

Thanks smilingblueyes, I have a lot of respect for you as a nurse. I have been lurking for months on the ob nurses forum, and you sound wonderful.

Suzy, I have nothing else to say to you. You have some strong emotions about this, and I'm not trying to fight. I just wanted to state what we did was no different and I still feel that way. Nothing I say to you is going to change your view of us. So, I'm done. I'm not in the profession anymore anyway.